Mrs Death Misses Death

By: Salena Godden

Narrated by: Salena Godden

Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Mrs Death has had enough. She is exhausted from spending eternity doing her job, and now she seeks someone to unburden her conscience to. Wolf Willeford, a troubled young writer, is well acquainted with death but until now hadn't met Death in person - a Black, working-class woman who shape-shifts and does her work unseen. 

Enthralled by her stories, Wolf becomes Mrs Death's scribe and begins to write her memoirs. Using their desk as a vessel and conduit, Wolf travels across time and place with Mrs Death to witness deaths of past and present and discuss what the future holds for humanity. As the two reflect on the losses they have experienced - or, in the case of Mrs Death, facilitated - their friendship grows into a surprising affirmation of hope, resilience and love. All the while, despite her world-weariness, Death must continue to hold humans' fates in her hands, appearing in our lives when we least expect her.... 

©2021 Salena Godden (P)2021 Canongate Books Ltd

Mrs Death! (A rave review from a Death Midwife)

This exquisite novel feels like you’re on an adventure with the author, and it was hard not to gobble up all at once! It is delicious and often hard to hear l, it is soothing and confrontational. The delight of being a tourist with Death, in her mundane traverse, is that it is the mystery trip we all want to explore, without the pain, with out the fear. I LOVE this book, the hard copy is like a big hug, I LOVED hearing SG reading it, like a story around the campfire! Xo Moon

Very Interesting

This was a very interesting book I enjoyed the writing style. I liked how some parts were very poetic. This book was as deep as it was dark. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone currently battling with any mental health issues. This is something you want to read with a clear head.

so much more than you think from the title

loveloveloved this book.
Selena Godden writes about all the things I want to talk about.

I will miss Mrs Death

I absolutely loved this book. As a hospice Chaplain I think about and interact with death on a continual basis. Through the reading Salena brought Mrs Death alive in my mind. This book has also been a comfort as I have struggled with depression. Thank you Salena Godden for sharing your storytelling/ writing gifts with the world.

Unique!

In author Salena Godden’s version, death is a black woman who can shape-shift to accomplish her duties. I like her premise, that death is a female, usually an older woman who is generally unseen. And Mrs. Death is a bit sassy in Godden’s hands.

Godden brings her poetic skills in writing this amusing story, of Mrs. Death unburdening her story to Woof Willeford, a struggling author who buys a magic desk. Through the desk, Mrs. Death takes Woof with her while she explains her story. I listened to the audio narrated by the author herself. She tells her story in a stream-of-conscious format which works well with her poetic skills.

Mrs. Death tells of her work, so we see death through a different lens. She’s not always crazy about the tragedy of death, the horror of death, the details of death. Godden writes of the tragedy and comedy of death. It’s a rumination on death.

This is an interesting audio. The rhythm of Godden’s voice adds to the story. I enjoyed this strange and interesting story.

Not for me, sadly

I managed to listen to the whole thing. There were moments when I thought this was excellent: erudite and beautifully worded. But then I found myself losing concentration and having no idea what was going on. It felt too clever for itself at times.

I loved the synopsis, hence choosing it. The start was so unusual: Death as a Black Woman. Though I have to say: I really dislike the title, the forced wordplay there.

But upon finishing, I couldn't actually tell you what had happened. I would normally stop reading/listening to a book that had this effect on me, but I persevered because I had so liked the sound of this. Yet it kept happening.

Other reviewers give this a very Marmite rating. Lots of people raving, lots very cool indeed, little in between.

I liked the voice of Mrs Death, the author's own voice. But the style of this is going to be 'love it or hate it', and for me, the audio version didn't do justice to the writer's efforts, it was too hard to follow. I wanted to savour the parts I was really enjoying and was not able to.

Maybe one to attempt again on paper.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

Absolutely exquisite

Without a doubt, the most exquisite book I have ever read/listened to. Sublime and perfect.

Dreamy

Loved hearing this Poet Supreme reading her own written word. Dreamy and poetic. I'm proud to have in some small way to have inspired the main character Wolf. Can't wait to see this as a film.

Wonderful book, wonderfully read

I enjoyed every minute of this book. It made me feel alive! I'd highly recommend it

Incredible book!

I was blown away by this book. It was not what I expected at all and at points made me sob! Such powerful writing and beautifully read by the author. Highly recommend!

Transformative And Loving

I was mesmerised by this book, beautifully read by the author herself. Her voices carried me, challenged me, tickled me, and awed me. This is a brilliant book for anyone who is asking themselves about what life, love, death and fury are all for.

thought-provoking and fabulous

completely fantastic, Salena Godden has such a way with words and their performance is absolutely breathtaking too.

Extraordinarily compelling reading performance.

A grim but beautifully written book. A hypnotic read by the author, as soon as you start to concentrate on their voice everything else disappears.

Provokes discussion - if u can make it to the end

Agree with others re monotone delivery - why? Was it to express
the numbness of Wolf’s condition? It certainly made me feel numb by the end ….
But I did want to finish it because of the personification of Death…

If you like repetition read in a monotonous tone..

If you like repetition read in a monotonous tone, then this is the book for you.

I liked the premise and at first loved the narration and poetic style of delivery. However, as the book went on I realised that there were no peaks and troughs, just the same slow voice reading in the same slow style with the same slow words read over and over and over again.

I wanted to love this book. I went from loving it to loathing it. I am not one to give up, I struggled on, but for the first time ever I had to stop and could not listen to the final hour as it was grating on me so much. Stories need shades of light and dark. The small sections of Wolf's life could've been extended and it would've made the world of difference. Nevermind.